Our Beliefs

OUR BELIEFS

We encourage you to bring your Bible to church. It is the textbook and the source of authority. Our desire is to interpret the Scriptures and apply them to our lives. The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to show us the way of God.

Here is What We Believe About:

The Bible - The 66 books of the Bible are inspired in every Word by God. The Holy Spirit used some 39 men of God to put it into writing without error or contradiction. It is our final authority in all matters of faith and practice. II Timothy 3:16, II Peter 1:20-21, Psalm 119:105

God - God is the creator and ruler of His universe. He is all knowing, all powerful, and everywhere present. He has eternally existed in three distinct personalities: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These are co-equal and comprise the one and only true God. Genesis 1:1, Psalm 90:2, Matthew 28:19

God the Father - The first person of the Godhead, He is calling out a people to belong to Him and worship and serve Him forever. He is the initiator of the plan of salvation, eternal and unconditional in His love for us, and the final judge of all men.

Genesis 1:27, I Peter 1:2, II Corinthians 13:14

Jesus Christ - He is the very Son of God, the unique God-man. He received His human body through the virgin birth and lived a sinless life. Jesus died on the cross to pay the complete price of the sins of all mankind and arose from the dead. He now intercedes in heaven for the saved on earth.

Isaiah 9:6, John 14:1-6, I Corinthians 15:3-4

The Holy Spirit - The third person of the Godhead convicts the lost of sin and gives new life to those who come to Christ. He indwells the new believer at the moment of salvation. For the believer, He offers the power to live the Christian life, teaching them the truth of God's word. We believe that the sign gifts of First Corinthians 12 were temporary and are not needed today since we have the completed Word of God.

I Corinthians 12:13, Ephesians 5:18, John 16:7-13.

Man

Man was created in the image of God and possesses body, soul, and spirit. Through disobedience, man fell into sin, and this separates man from God which causes spiritual death, physical death, and ultimately eternal death. Man is helpless in any way to save himself from the consequences of sin.

Genesis 1:27, Isaiah 53:6, Romans 6:23

Satan

He is a real person and was originally the highest angel. Through pride, he became the author of sin, the father of lies and the devil. His primary task is to destroy mankind in Hell and render Christians ineffective. He has been defeated at the cross of Calvary and will ultimately be cast into the Lake of Fire forever with all those whom he has taken captive.

Ezekiel 28:12-19, Matthew 4:1-11, I Peter 5:8-9

Salvation

Salvation is a gift of God. It can never be earned or deserved. A person must repent of his or her sin and receive Christ as Lord and Savior to be placed into the family of God. Entrance into Heaven is gained by trusting Jesus Christ alone--there is no other way.

Ephesians 2:8-10, Titus 3:5, Acts 20:21

Life After Death

We believe in a literal heaven and hell. There is nothing between. At death, when the body and soul separate, the person who has placed faith in Jesus Christ is immediately in conscious state before the presence of God for all eternity. Likewise, at the moment of death, the unbeliever is in a conscious and eternal state of suffering in hell and ultimately the Lake of Fire. The decision to receive or reject Christ must be made before death.

Philippians 1:21-23, Acts 7:56-60, Luke 16:19-31.

The Local Church

The "Body of Christ" which is composed of believers can only function on earth in the form of a visible, organized, local congregation. The job of the church is to reach the lost, make disciples of individuals, and to teach and instruct as He commanded. For one to be a true member of a church, he or she must first have put his or her faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 16:18, Revelation 2:1-3:22, Ephesians 2:19-22.

Eternal Security

We believe that since man has nothing to do with obtaining salvation, he is not able to maintain it. Once you receive eternal life, you can never lose it. It is God who keeps us and not man holding on to God. A carnal, disobedient Christian will be chastened by the Lord, possibly even have his physical life cut short, but he can never lose his salvation.

John 10:28, I Corinthians 3:15, I John 5:16.

Missions

The great commission given to the church is to preach the gospel to every person in every generation in every nation of the world. This task is the primary goal of the church and should lead to the on-going establishment of New Testament churches in every nation among every people.

Mark 16:15, Luke 24:47-48, Acts 1:8.

The Future

We believe that Jesus will return for His church at a time known only by the Father. Immediately after His return, there will be seven years of Tribulation during which the Anti-Christ will control the world. Christ will then return with His church to fight the battle of Armageddon and establish 1000 years of peace. The millennium will close with fire burning up the earth. A new heaven and earth will be created where there will never again be sin. All the unbelievers will be cast into the Lake of Fire after standing before the great white throne of judgment, and the believers will live with God forever.